Please note: Material provided in this report is chosen subjectively and included at the discretion of the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The ability to report on a given event is limited by the amount of information available to NCDC at the time of publication. Inclusion of a particular event does not constitute a greater importance in comparison with an event that has not been incorporated into the discussion. Data included in this report are preliminary unless otherwise stated. Links to supporting information are valid at the time of publication, but they are not maintained or changed after publication.

Heavy Snow In Taunton, MA On January
23

Global Hazards and Significant
Events
January 2005

A major winter storm brought crippling
accumulations of snow to parts of the northeastern United States
during January 22-23. Additional
information can be found below.

Wet weather in areas
of the western United States which began during November continued
into January. This parade of Pacific storm systems ameliorated
drought conditions in parts of the region, with areas of the
Southwest (including California) receiving some of the most
beneficial (but in some cases, excessive) precipitation. Extreme to
exceptional drought persisted farther north throughout portions of
the northern and central Rockies.

Long-term drought
continued across areas of the Greater Horn of Africa. Lake Victoria
water levels remained near the 10-year low, reducing floods
downstream across parts of the upper Nile, as well as the
availability of fish and water lilies. Lighter than normal seasonal
rains in central Darfur in Sudan and adjacent parts of Chad reduced
water supplies and stressed pastures (FEWS). Farther to the south
through portions of Tanzania, Mozambique, southern Kenya and
adjacent areas of northern Madagascar, monthly precipitation was
50-100 mm (1.96-3.94 inches) below average during January.

In Australia, rainfall
was much below average in January through much of the country,
particularly in the west. For the nation as a whole, it was the
driest January since 1994 (Australian Bureau of Meteorology).

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In areas of Sri Lanka
and Indonesia that were devastated by the December 26th tsunami,
heavy rains during early January hampered rescue and relief
efforts. Locally, rainfall on the order of 300 mm (12 inches)
produced flooding in parts of Sumatra and southeastern sections of
Sri Lanka during December 28-January 5.

Additional rains
caused flooding en route to the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian city of
Banda Aceh on the 19th. Flooded roadways delayed relief convoys
from delivering needed food and medical supplies to the city
(AFP).

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Across Central
America, three days of heavy rains in Costa Rica caused flooding
that was responsible for 7 deaths by the 11th (IFRC). Significant
rainfall in the Limon province caused several rivers to overflow,
displacing more than 35,000 people. In neighboring Panama, civil
defense workers had evacuated 5,000 people, with several helicopter
rescues from rooftops (Associated Press).

In the United States,
an onslaught of Pacific storm systems affected the southern West
Coast. These brought exceptionally heavy rainfall to coastal and
lower elevation locations, while several feet of snow accumulated
in the California Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.

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Resulting from the
rainfall associated with these Pacific storms, a deadly mudslide
near La Conchita, California on January 10 claimed 10 lives. For
complete details on the impacts of heavy precipitation throughout
the western U.S., see the special storm
summary page.

In Canada, heavy rain produced a mudslide in North Vancouver,
British Columbia during the early morning of the 19th. At least one
person was killed, and another seriously injured (Reuters).
Vancouver received more than 130 mm (5.2 inches) of rain in the
three-day period preceding the landslide.

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In Guyana, heavy
rainfall throughout much of January produced flooding that
displaced thousands of people. In the capital city of Georgetown,
it was estimated that two-thirds of the city had been flooded,
affecting 120,000 people (OCHA).

In Saudi Arabia, heavy rains produced some of the worst flooding
in 20 years in the city of Medina. The rainfall caused a dam to
collapse, isolating many villages and forcing many residents from
their homes. Eight people were killed by floodwaters on the 24th
(BBC News).

In the United States,
a line of severe thunderstorms preceding a strong cold front
brought wind damage and a few tornadoes to parts of the Deep South
and Southeast on the 13th. A tornado in Laurens,
South Carolina produced damage to frame structures, and was
responsible for igniting a large industrial fire (NOAA/NWS). The
tornado was rated as F2 intensity on the
Fujita Tornado Scale.

Tropical Cyclone
Kerry
developed in the South Pacific Ocean on January 5. The storm
crossed over the northern islands of Vanuatu on the 7th with
maximum sustained winds near 65 km/hr (40 mph). Kerry strengthened
south of Vanuatu, before finally dissipating over open South
Pacific waters on the 12th.

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Tropical Cyclone
Ernest
developed in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and the
coast of Mozambique on the 20th. The cyclone reached the coast of
southern Madagascar on the 23rd, with maximum sustained winds at
the time of landfall near 100 km/hr (60 mph). There were at least
17 fatalities, with the southern city of Tulear inundated by severe
flooding (Reuters/AFP).

Tropical Cyclone Raymond developed
on January 1 in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western
Australia. Raymond tracked inland over extreme northern Western
Australia near Kuri Bay with maximum sustained winds near 85 km/hr
(50 mph). Locally heavy rain accompanied the cyclone as it weakened
quickly upon landfall on the 3rd.

A powerful storm
system brought strong winds to the United Kingdom on the 12th.
Across Northern Ireland and Scotland, winds gusted as high as 200
km/hr (125 mph), producing 60,000 power outages. Three fatalities
were blamed on the storm system (Reuters).

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A significant winter
storm which brought heavy snowfall to areas of the Intermountain
West produced more wintry weather as it moved into the U.S. Great
Plains and eventually into the Northeast by the 6th. While a
significant ice storm affected areas of Kansas and Missouri,
heavy snow fell in areas of Nebraska, Iowa and into northern
Illinois. Local snowfall accumulations exceeded 15 cm (6 inches).
The snow and ice spread into the Northeast corridor of the United
States by the 6th.

A burst of snow that
deposited 2.5-7.6 cm (1-3 inches) of accumulation in the Piedmont
of North Carolina and Virginia on the 19th produced gridlock on
area roadways. Traffic jams in the Raleigh-Durham area occurred
around rush hour, and stranded more than 3,000 pupils overnight at
area schools (Associated Press).

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A major winter
snowstorm, referred to as the "Blizzard of 2005", affected the
metropolitan areas of the Northeastern United States during January
22-23. Snowfall accumulations exceeding one foot covered much of
southern New England in the storm's aftermath, with well over two
feet in some areas of Massachusetts. Strong winds created blizzard
conditions with low visibilities and considerable blowing and
drifting of snow. By the 27th, month-to-date snowfall at the Boston
Logan International Airport totaled 43.1 inches, making January the
snowiest month on record. The same storm system deposited heavy
accumulations of snow on Halifax, Nova Scotia and much of Atlantic
Canada, canceling most flights on the 23rd (Reuters). Additional
information on this event may be found on the Northern Hemisphere Snow
and Ice page.

In the United States, a significant ice storm struck parts of
northern Georgia on the 30th-31st. Ice accretion was as great as 2
inches in Monroe county, located southeast of Atlanta. Power
outages in the area at the height of the storm affected nearly
320,000 homes and businesses (Associated Press).

In Algeria, a winter storm deposited the heaviest snowfall since
1950 on the 27th (Algiers Meteorological Services). The snowstorm
paralyzed the capital city of Algiers and more than a third of the
country. More than 100 roads were closed, and the severe winter
weather was blamed on 13 deaths (Reuters/BBC News). Northward
across the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean, snow fell
for the first time in decades, with 8 cm (3 inches) of snow at
Mahon on Menora on the 26th (BBC News).